考研英语历年阅读理解真题精析--2006年part2

Part Two

Stratford-on-Avon, as we all know, has only one industry—William Shakespeare—but there are two distinctly separateand increasingly hostile branches. There is the Royal Shakespeare Company （ASC）, which presents superb productionsof the plays at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre on the Avon. And there are the townsfolk who largely live off the touristswho come, not to see the plays, but to look at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, Shakespeare’s birthplace and the other sights.

The worthy residents of Stratford doubt that the theatre adds a penny to their revenue. They frankly dislike the RSC’sactors, them with their long hair and beards and sandals and noisiness. It’s all deliciously ironic when you consider thatShakespeare, who earns their living, was himself an actor （with a beard）and did his share of noise-making.

The tourist streams are not entirely separate. The sightseers who come by bus- and often take in Warwick Castle andBlenheim Palace on the side—don’t usually see the plays, and some of them are even surprised to find a theatre in Stratford.However, the playgoers do manage a little sight-seeing along with their playgoing. It is the playgoers, the ESC contends,who bring in much of the town’s revenue because they spend the night （some of them four or five nights）pouring cash intothe hotels and restaurants. The sightseers can take in everything and get out of town by nightfall.

The townsfolk don’t see it this way and local council does not contribute directly to the subsidy of the RoyalShakespeare Company. Stratford cries poor traditionally. Nevertheless every hotel in town seems to be adding a new wingor cocktail lounge. Hilton is building its own hotel there, which you may be sure will be decorated with Hamlet HamburgerBars, the Lear Lounge, the Banquo Banqueting Room, and so forth, and will be very expensive.

Anyway, the townsfolk can’t understand why the Royal Shakespeare Company needs a subsidy. （The theatre hasbroken attendance records for three years in a row. Last year its 1,431 seats were 94 percent occupied all year long and thisyear they’ll do better.）The reason, of course, is that costs have rocketed and ticket prices have stayed low.

It would be a shame to raise prices too much because it would drive away the young people who are Stratford’s mostattractive clientele. They come entirely for the plays, not the sights. They all seem to look alike （though they come from allover）---lean, pointed, dedicated faces, wearing jeans and sandals, eating their buns and bedding down for the night on theflagstones outside the theatre to buy the 20 seats and 80 standing—room tickets held for the sleepers and sold to them whenthe box office opens at 10:30 a.m..

6. From the first two paras , we learn that____

A. the townsfolk deny the RSC ’ s contribution to the town’s revenue

B. the actors of the RSC imitate Shakespeare on and off stage

C. the two branches of the RSC are not on good terms

D. the townsfolk earn little from tourism

7. It can be inferred from Para 3 that____

A. the sightseers cannot visit the Castle and the Palace separately

B. the playgoers spend more money than the sightseers

C. the sightseers do more shopping than the playgoers

D. the playgoers go to no other places in town than the theater

8. By saying “Stratford cries poor traditionally” （Line 2-3, Paragraph 4）, the author implies that_____

A. Stratford cannot afford the expansion projects

B. Stratford has long been in financial difficulties

C. the town is not really short of money

D. the townsfolk used to be poorly paid

9. According to the townsfolk, the RSC deserves no subsidy because____

A. ticket prices can be raised to cover the spendingB. the company is financially ill-managed

C. the behavior of the actors is not socially acceptable

D. the theatre attendance is on the rise

10. From the text we can conclude that the author_____

A. is supportive of both sides B. favors the townsfolk’s view

C. takes a detached attitude D. is sympathetic

Unit 13（2006）　Part 2

重点词汇：1.　hostile a. 含敌意的，极不友好的

2.　superb a. 极好的，的；华丽的，⾼贵的；⾮常的，极度的

3.　revenue n. 收⼊，岁⼊

4.　subsidy　n. （政府、慈善机构等分发的）补助⾦；津贴，补贴；捐款，资助；拨款；（国家之间的）财政援助

5.　attendance　n. 出席，到场；（总称）出席者，听众，观众；照料，护理，伺候

6.　decorate v.　装饰，打扮

7.　rocket v.　上升，迅速增加

8.　attractive　a. 有吸引⼒的，诱⼈的

9.　sandal n. 凉鞋

10.　sightseer n. 观光者，旅游者

11.　flagstone　n. ⽯板

12.　playgoer　n.　戏迷

13.　standing-room n.　（剧场、体育场等的）站席空位；站⽴空间

14.　重要词组live off 住在……以外；靠……⽣活；靠……供养；以……为主⾷on the side 秘密地，暗地⾥；作为兼职；作为副业on the safe side 可靠的；安全的along with　与……⼀起；共同；连同；随着；加之15.　bring in　引进；引⼊；⽣产；产出；收益；进款；挣得（钱）；提出（议案）；拘捕；逮捕；让某⼈参与计划

16.　take in 让……进⼊；接纳；接受；接待；收留；把……领⼊；包括；涉及；参观；游览；观看（戏剧、电影等）缩短；改⼩⾐服；收缩；兼并；获得（⼟地）；订阅（报刊、杂志等）；收⼊；进账；开始；注意到；敏锐地观察到；马上看到；看出；⼀⽬了然；领会；理解17.　get out of　从……出来；从……取出来；从……解脱/离开；从……获得/得到；戒掉；使摆脱（某事/某习惯）；使避免；（使某⼈）逃避（责任、义务、职责等）18.　stay low　保持低速；保持低价位